Not Much

In our instant world of fresh coffee, fast food,email, i-phones and zippity-zip credit cards, it is clear that there are many places available to spend our money. Our society has created a trend that in order to truly live, you must spend. The Internet doesn't need one more blog post on consumerism, so I won't bore you with that lecture. But I would like to share with you my new found understanding of being content with "not much".
For as long as I can remember, I have found pleasure in material possessions. These possessions were never expensive, and often they were second hand. I distinctly remember one of my first independent purchases. It was a plastic coin purse with "water" inside, where little mermaids and beads squished about. There is something truly euphoric about having something pretty, whether it holds your coins or is worn in your hair. From little on, we receive the message that when we have things,we are o.k. and when we don't have those things, we aren't o.k. As Christians, we are taught that Jesus Christ is all that we truly need; all of our needs will be provided through Him. I've wrestled with this truth for many years, but I feel as if God has finally brought me to a place in my heart where I can understand and see this truth for what it really is.
Living the "20 something, single and absolutely broke" lifestyle has presented some interesting challenges. I have found that it is far more important to have money for gas to get to work, then it is to get your hair professionally colored. I have learned that a box of cereal or packages of oatmeal are a cheap and filling way to feed yourself, and that toilet paper nicely replaces the need for Kleenex boxes. I have forfeited pretty for practical, finding that pretty is often not practical, except for those rare occasions in the discount aisle. I have learned how to stretch outfits into more outfits, and to go months without purchasing new clothes, and when I do purchase them, it is usually a yellow tag sale at Good Will.
Several weeks ago, I got a "wild hair" and decided to finally transfer my library of books from the plastic tote they've been sitting in to the book shelf where they belong. As I shelved each book, I somehow felt like I was incredibly wealthy. Each title represented a specific area of my life that I have invested in throughout the years, or a Bible Study that I've done that I could certainly do again. When I saw all the tools that were at my fingertips to build the inner wealth of my relationship with Jesus and my knowledge of His principles, it was clear that despite all of the "worldly" necessities that I've learned to do without, I had everything I needed.
There was a previous post in which I wrote about the "fear of lack". I still struggle with that fear, even though I have embraced penny pinching more now then I ever have before. There are definitely areas of growth in which I need to fully learn to trust in my Savior, believing with everything in me that He is enough. That the beauty He has built within me, the truths that have blossomed and resonated in my life and the lives of those I come in contact with, is all I need to combat this world of materialism. That is not to say that I don't desire to go on a wild shopping spree, get my nails done, buy a piece of jewelry that was "calling my name", or snag that adorable denim jacket that would go with anything. I adore the pretty things in life, and look forward to the day where I may have a few more resources to work with. But the truth of the matter is that right now in this state of "absolutely broke singleness", He is cultivating a spirit of "absolute contentment and brokeness" within my heart; a foundation for the life that He desires me to live, with priorities that are above the worlds.
May the inner wealth that you obtain as being a prince or princess of The King be more than enough to combat this world of selfishness and materialism and may you find your identity by the title of your maker, and not the brand of your clothes, embracing the truth that you are worth far more than any designer item.